Leah Dizon – Destiny Line

Destiny Line is Leah Dizon’s debut album and it was released on September 12, 2007. The album reached #9 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 55,091 copies.

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The album opens with blaring brass section of IMPOSSIBLE. This song was a great way to kick start the album because it is such a spunky, energetic track with matching lyrics to boot.

Out of all the B-sides she has released, Everything Anything is one of Leah Dizon’s weakest. The song has grown on me over the course of time, but I still have issues with her vocals. The music is quite pleasant to me now though. This song was a B-side on the Softly single.

I really do think Dizon excels at singing slower paced songs, and she really shows that with Missing. This is a really pretty song with nice acoustic guitar in the background and it shows the gentler, more reserved side of Dizon’s voice.

The next track is fun and infectious Koi Shiyou♪, her 2nd single. This is such a catchy song with a chorus that doesn’t let up. It’s definitely one of the best tracks off the album.

I was so impressed with Unmei-sen because Dizon once again displays charming vocals in this mid paced song. The lyrics of the chorus are heartfelt and I especially enjoyed the bridge where she adds a little dash of power into her voice. The song also has a nice, rhythmic beat.

Dizon included both of the B-sides from her Koi Shiyou♪ single on the album and Could you be that one? appears first. I have always liked this song’s catchy chorus and fluffy atmosphere.

Are you feelin’ for me? is the first of only 2 songs on the album that feature lyrics that are completely in English. The music is quite edgy thanks to the deep synth arrangement and constant beats. The lyrics are pretty good too, but nothing extremely special.

Track 8 is Softly, Dizon’s debut single. Like I said when I reviewed the single, I really liked her gentle voice even though it comes off as a little weak sometimes. The song is your typical love ballad with some beats in the background mixed with low key strings.

The next track is a heavily synthed up cover of Culture Club’s Time (Clock Of The Heart). I will say that Dizon does the song justice but there was a huge problem that I had with her cover: the background vocals. After the chorus, the background vocals appear and start an annoying high pitched acapella sequence. It’s the only real negative aspect of the song, really.

Aishiteru~Love Story is a unique track on this album because it is Dizon’s first step into R&B territory. The song has hot beats and catchy vocals to go along with them. This song was the other B-side on the Koi Shiyou♪ single.

The album enters a somewhat bubblegum pop phase with Wonderlin’. It’s a very poppy song with progressive percussion and brass in the background. The lyrics are on the cutesy side too.

L･O･V･E U is probably the most sugary and light hearted song on the album. Everything from the vocals, music, and lyrics just scream CUTE…perhaps TOO cute.

Drive me crazy was an eye opener because it reminded me of a certain American song: Toxic by Britney Spears. The song’s structure is so similar to Toxic in a lot areas, especially during the verses, the lead-in to the chorus, and the bridge. I guess you can that this is a good thing because Toxic is one the few Britney Spears songs that I actually enjoy listening to.

Dizon definitely saved the best for last with Again and Again, the album’s promotional track. The song is mostly in English and the lyrics are gorgeous. Dizon’s vocals sound so frail in this song, but it actually adds some ambience and emotion to the music, which is a blend of waterdrop beats and strings. On a side note, she worked with her brother Bradley on this track.

On the CD only edition of the album, there’s a remix of Koi Shiyou♪ done by none other thanYasutaka Nakata. It was originally released as a digital download on July 25, 2007. The remix features a faster rhythm and more layered vocals during the chorus. In the end, it’s an awesome revisioning of the song since it adds electronica and dance elements.

Destiny Line was better than I thought, A LOT better. So many of the album tracks surprised me and I was impressed by how well done most of them were. Leah Dizon had a lot of input on the album since she wrote a majority of the songs, and considering her background, that’s really amazing. The album does have its weak points though, the biggest one being Dizon’s vocals, which are still not as developed as I would like them to be. However, she is still making an incredible effort as an up and coming singer. The music isn’t for everyone, but as a POP ALBUM, Destiny Line definitely delivers. It’s a worth a try, and might take multiple listens.

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I just wanted to say thank you for getting me into Leah Dizon.
Sure, her voice isn’t really strong and a bit irritating, but there’s something about it that I still like.
I personally like Love U for a single because of how fun it is, and I really like Drive Me Crazy, mainly because it’s cool how it sounds quite a bit like Toxic. I also enjoyed Again and Again and Impossible.
^^